HAMPTON - A Hunterdon County man has been arrested and charged with sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child.

Michael Latronica, 41, of Hampton, was arrested Jan. 11 and charged with first-degree aggravated sexual assault, two counts of second-degree sexual assault and two counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child, the Hunterdon County Prosecutor's Office announced Friday.

An investigation by detectives from the Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit and the New Jersey State Police revealed that the crimes allegedly took place in 2009 and involved children under the age of 13.

Latronica is being held in the Somerset County Jail pending his first court appearance.

“Children are life’s most precious gift, parents and guardians must remain vigilant at all times," Hunterdon County Prosecutor Anthony P. Kearns III said. "Continual communication with children under your care is imperative to keeping them safe and children should be taught about appropriate boundaries. Crimes involving children are a heinous offense."

If found guilty, Latronica can be sentenced up to 20 years in prison for the first-degree charges, Kearns said.

This investigation is ongoing and anyone with additional information is requested to contact the Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit at 908-788-1129.